Tornado threat continues overnight for South Mississippi

A Tornado Watch is in effect for all of South Mississippi until 3am Wednesday.

SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) -

The Tornado Watch has been extended for all of South Mississippi until 3am Wednesday.

This includes the following counties in the WLOX-TV viewing area:

PEARL RIVER, STONE, GEORGE, HANCOCK, HARRISON, and JACKSON.

A few tornadoes will be possible in the watch area. Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph will also be possible during the overnight time-frame, late Tuesday into early Wednesday.

Reports of tornadoes were confirmed in central Mississippi earlier Tuesday. Thunderstorms will persist into the overnight hours along and ahead of a cold front moving slowly eastward into Mississippi and Louisiana. A few damaging gusts and perhaps a tornado or two will be possible through the early morning hours.

"Severe weather at night when folks are asleep can catch some people off-guard," commented WLOX Meteorologist Wesley Williams. "Make sure you have a way to receive weather alerts so that even if you are asleep you will be notified of incoming severe weather."

Remember: a tornado watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.

Stay tuned to WLOX and wlox.com for further information. For frequent updates try following our meteorologists on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.